NIA To Question Headley on His Mumbai Stay

New Delhi:The National Investigation Agency wants to question Lashkar operative David Headley with the evidence of his stay in Mumbai before the November 26, 2008, terror attacks.

The NIA made an application before a special court on Friday that they would like to confront Headley with the original registers of Mumbai hotels where he stayed before the attacks. The prosecution has also submitted a photograph of Jamat-ud-Dawah (JuD) chief and Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed to the court presided over by special judge GA Sanap.

Headley is set to record his statement before as a prosecution witness on February 8 and 9 via video conferencing. Last December, the court granted him conditional pardon, accepting his proposal to turn approver in the terror attack case. The court felt his evidence as co-conspirator was “of immense importance and assistance to the prosecution”. His role was “categorically established” from the US court’s judgment, records and plea agreement. Headley’s deposition would be the first piece of direct evidence of the criminal conspiracy.

Meanwhile, Lashkar handler Zabihuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal has made an application before the court contesting the use of his alias ‘Abu Jundal’ in the proceedings. Ansari, who appeared via video conferencing, said he wanted the reference of ‘Abu Jundal’ to be dropped.